Saliya ejector



F. E. GlBBlN 2,327,347

w lNvENToR BY W ATTORNEY5.l

Pamici Aug. 24, '1943 SALIVA EJECTOR Floyd E. Gi'bbin, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Leslie A. Gibbin, Springville, N. Y.

i Application August 29, 1940,., Serial No 3549696) i Cfai-ni. (C1. 32-33) This invention relates to eiectors for removing saliva from the mouth of a patient while undergoing dental work, and is an improvement over the construction shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,471,207.

Saliva ejectors -of this type as heretofore made consisted generally of a tube made of spiral strips of paper and a rein-forcing Wire arranged in said tube so that the vlatter could be bent into hook shape to fit the mouth of the patient and retain its tubular form.

These prior ejectors possessed objectionable defects due to the fact that the same would become soft and deformed by the flow of saliva through them while in use, also because the end of the same engag'ing Vthe floor of the mouth was rough, ragged and sharp which caused pain and discomfort to the patient, also because'it was possible for the reinforcing Vwire to project beyond the front end of the tube and injure the patient, also :because when Shaping the tube to fit -themouth of the patient, cracks were often formed in the tube which caused the same to leal: and thus rendered `it useless,ralso because the means for coupling the ejector with the suotion apparatus was cumbersome and diflloult to handle, and Valso because these ,tubes were discolored and unsightly in appearance, due to manufacturing processes formerly used.

It is the object of this invention to provide a saliva ejector whichovercomes the above mentioned objectionable features and still permits the same to be manufactured economically.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a saliva ejector embodying the improvements of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, on a still larger scale, vof this improved saliva ejector, showing the internal construction of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3--3, Fig. 2.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing'.

As a whole the body of this ejector is generally of tubular form and comprises a straight rear oor lower portion 19 which is adapted to be connected with a suction device and a hook shaped front or upper portion H which is adapted to be placed in the mouth of a patient for withdrawing saliva therefrom by said suction device while doing dental work thereon.

The main support for the tube of the ejector is provided by an intermediate tubular core of parchment paper which is. stroneand lte'ele S0 as to retain whiever. share given. to it. core .i preferahly produced hy vlrlins two Strips 12. .of parchmnt soirally over the Other .in a manner Well ;known .in the art of making paper tubes.. This parclnnnt paper ;is prefrahly ;pure White .89 as .to present a heat and clean appearane and .12.1.1118 .avoidins Zany resistance which .otherwise might -b Qfted. by patients .against ;placing this ejetor in the mouth.

To przevent this .pamlzlmnt .Paper .Gore of the eetpr from 'being zsitend :by the. .flow of saiva through the same, the inner side 'of .the tubular core is provided with a tubula;` .lining 13 Iof waternroof ;paper ;01' 'similar material. union is preferahly nrefermed by mneies strip af ten materifi Vhelicallr zprpraie Y W pleme strips of .material around the sams- Protetiremeans Rmtdd Winch permit of loemiirie .of the .whuler fcor and linie i the ejector S0 ,that its i ing portion firqm hefizemmg .cr-asked .or produqe leak openings which. .inter-rpm with the `.station of the .Saliva .through .the iector and :also v;permit salivefto escapethroughthese cracka These. protective means consstof .an outer coating of cellulose .acetate i U .which ma bo applied '-tD the exterior of the tubular core in any suitable manner but preferably by spraying cellulose acetate in liquid form onthe core or Winding the same in strip form thereon.

Moreover, when bending the ejector tube to form a hook at its upper cr front end While this tube is thus coated with cellulose acetate, the inner side of this curved hook portion, as indicated at Hi in Figs. 1 and 2, is comparatively even or smooth and free from protruding or sharp corners or edges, thereby avoiding irritation or discomfort to the patient while holding the ejector in the mouth` This cellulose acetate coating is preferably perfectly clear and transparent so that the white parchment paper is visible through the same and thus ernphasizes the impression of cleanliness on the patient and overcomes possible objection to using the ejector in the mouth.

Preparatory to bending the tubular ejector body to produce the hook formation on the upper part thereof the same is first heated or warmed moderately which permits of changing the form of the ejector tube without liability of cracking any of its parts and thus reducing the possibility of producing imperfect ejectors to a minimum.

In the preferred construction the front part of the ejector tube is provided with a crimped or folded fiange IG which is turned backwardly and inwardly agai-nst the adjacent part of the bore of the ejector tube, as shown in Fg. 2. By these means a rounded edge ll is formed on the front end of the ejector tube which upon engaging the floor of the mouth of the patient will not cut the same nor produce any painful irritation such as was manifested when the ejector tube terminated at its front end in a straight transverse cut or edge which left a rough, ragged or sharp surface that is very uncomfortable when held in the mouth of the patient.

In addition to form-ng a rounded surface on the front end of the ejector tube the inturned fiange 16 also forms an internal rearwardly facing shoulder 18 in the ejector tube which is engaged by the front end of the internal reinforcement 9 arranged within the ejector tube. This shoulder therefore forms a stop which is engaged by the front end of the reinforcement and prevents the same from projecting forwardly beyond the ejector tube where it is liable to come in contact with the tissues of the mouth of the patient and produce discomfort and pain. This reinforcement is preferably constructed of a helical piece of wire which extends through the ejector tube throughout the length thereof and' is placed in the ejector tube'while it is straight and then bent at its upper end into hook form at the same time that the ejector tube is bent into this shape.

Adjacent to its front end the ejector tube is preferably provided in its side with openings 8 through which saliva may pass from the mouth into the tube and thus insure withdrawal of the saliva from the mouth if the front end of the ejector tube should be closed by contact with some part of the mouth. These openings in the front end of the ejector prevent thetissues of the mouth being sucked up into the tube which is highly painful to the patient.

Various means may be employed for connecting the lower or rear end of the ejeotor tube with the means whereby a suction effect is produced in this tube and saliva is drawn rearwardly therethrough from the mouth of the patient. The preferred means for this purpose consists of a sheet metal coupling tube IS having a cylindrical upper end 20 into which is slipped the lower end of the ejector tube and a downwardly tapering lower end 2| which is slipped into the upper or inlet end of a rubber tube 22 leading to a pump or other suction apparatus whereby a suction is created in the rubber tube. These means for connecting the ejector tube with the rubber suction tube are exceedingly simple and inexpensive and cannot only be handled easily and freely but also are light and neat in appearance as well as permitting the different ejectors to be quickly connected with and disconnected from the suction tube for use with different patients.

By employing an inner layer of Waterproof paper, an intermediate layer of white parchment paper and an outer layer of cellulose acetate, a tube is produced which is practically waterproof without requiring any special treatment for this purpose and the original white color of the parchment paper is preserved without any appreciable manufacturing cost.

Moreover, this ejector tube can be very easily adapted to any depth of mouth by curving the hook to fit either a deep or shallow mouth without liability of wrinkling, cracking or injuring the tube and rendering the patient uncomfortable and without spoiling any of the ejectors when eifecting such adjustment.

I claim as my invention:

A saliva ejector oomprising a tubula1` body having a curved upper inlet end and a straight lower outlet end, the inlet end of said body being folded backwardly upon itself in the form of a tubular fiange from the exterior to the interior of the body and forming an internal inwardly facing shoulder within said body and also forming a rounded edge on the front end of said body, and a helical reinforcing member arranged within the curved and straight ends of said body and engaging its front end with the shoulder formed by the folded fiange of said body and thereby preventing said reinforcing member from projecting forwardly beyond the inlet end of said tubular body.

FLOYD E. GIBBIN. 

